Japanese Jekyll (or The Exorcism of Yugi Muto)
by tipsytennant29
Summary: A dark reimagining of Yu-Gi-Oh's beginning. Yugi's been blacking out and missing memories. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad, if he wasn't waking up with someone else's blood on his hands. As more and more supernatural occurrences permeate his life, Yugi looks to his friends to help exorcise the ghost that's been tormenting him.
1. Chapter 1 - Blood

The Japanese Jekyll

or The Exorcism of Yugi Muto

 **Chapter 1**

Hot water gushed into the bathroom sink, steaming as it pooled in the basin. A teenaged boy hunched over the porcelain, scrubbing his hands desperately under the water. His bright purple eyes had a frantic look about them, a mixture of shock and terror, as he reached for more soap with a bloodsoaked hand.

Drops of red mixed with the swirling tap water, staining the liquid pink. This was the third time in the last two weeks that he'd woken up in the middle of the street, dazed and with no memory of the last several hours. He'd never been a sleepwalker before, and it chilled him to the bone to imagine who he'd talked to, or what these hands had done.

The other times, he'd woken up next to mentally unstable people, lost in some schizophrenic fantasy. Sometimes he recognized them from school or the street. The first had been Ushio, a rather menacing bully hiding behind a fake smile and school government campaign. He'd taken it upon himself to "protect" Yugi from Jonouchi and Honda, two boys who'd once teased him. But his services were hardly charitable. Ushio had beaten Jonouchi and Honda to a pulp, unprovoked, and then demanded a large sum for his so-called gallant deed.

Naturally, Yugi had been horrified, and jumped into the fray to protect his two classmates. As with just about everyone, Yugi considered them friends, regardless of any mutual sentiment. And naturally, having been denied his fun, Ushio turned his fists on Yugi. Pummelled him, sanding the poor kid down to nothing. Bruises sprawled across his face, arms, torso and legs, as his injuries began to puff and swell. But beatings and black eyes were nothing new to Yugi, and he gingerly picked himself back up again and shuffled home to the game shop.

Puzzles and games were Yugi's whole life, and not just because his family ran a game shop. In times of stress, they were a peaceful reprieve, a way to busy and challenge and distract his brain. And there was one puzzle in particular, whose solution eluded Yugi for the better part of eight years. The Millenium Puzzle...a mysterious Egyptian artefact that his grandfather had brought home from an archaeological trip decades prior.

No one knew what it was supposed to look like, and an ominous warning adorned it's golden packaging. _The one who solves me shall inherit my dark knowledge and power_. His grandfather, Sugoroku, had translated it for him a long time ago, as his little fingers traced the hieroglyphs. Even then, it had an allure, like it called specifically out to him. When his wide, purple eyes found the symbol of Wadjet on the side, it felt like the rest of the world fell away. His periphery would blur, and he'd hear a deep, thrumming bass, a tribal heartbeat.

Some nights, he'd steal away into the shadows, tip-toeing into the shop to marvel at the puzzle. He knew it was off-limits, but he couldn't help but touch the golden pieces. A rush pulsed through his veins when his skin connected with the cold, shining metal. Maybe it was from his fear of the unknown, or the mysterious, dangerous vibe the puzzle exuded...but it was a thrill unlike any other.

Yugi had never noticed, but Sugoroku watched him from the doorway one night. Expression full of intrigue and alarm, he watched Yugi interact with the pieces, his mouth set in a grim line. Like Gollum and the ring, he knew it was useless to keep the two apart. So one day, he gave Yugi the puzzle, reminding him, "No one has ever completed it. It's rumored to be impossible."

 _He'll tire of it after a while_ , he thought to himself. _There won't be anything to worry about_.

For eight years, very little progress was made. The skeleton of the thing had begun to appear as time passed by, but it was far from complete. Every time Sugoroku passed his grandson's room, a chill shot up and down his spine. Even partially complete, the golden puzzle gave off an evil, ominous vibe. Like something invisible was watching him from the corner of the room.

But on the night Yugi returned home after seeing Ushio, bloodied and beaten, the puzzle all but solved itself. The challenge dissipated, and the pieces literally fell into place. Yugi's eyes widened as the build came together in his hands, as if by magic. It was...a golden, inverted pyramid, connected to a worn leather rope. He knew the puzzle had to be thousands of years old, but the cord was surprisingly intact - no fraying edges or weakened structure. What was even more interesting, the gold surface bore no scratches, and was unmarred even by dirt or heat warp. It was _too_ pristine.

And as that last piece fell into place, the ridges pulsed with a bright yellow glow. An unsettling chill began to creep over him, and the temperature in the room began to drop. Although he was overcome with a strong urge to look over his shoulder, Yugi couldn't tear his eyes away from the puzzle. The symbol of Wadjet shone intensely, drawing him in and arresting his attention. He wanted to scream, to drop the artefact and run, but found his body had gone numb.

Tendrils of golden light began to radiate from the puzzle, snaking up his arms. It burned like a candle's flame as it passed across his skin, and he cried out in surprise and anguish. His eyes squeezed shut against the pain, his teeth clenched as he grit through it. And just as he thought it couldn't get any worse…

A solid, brilliant beam shot from the middle of the eye of Wadjet. It pierced Yugi's forehead, searing white hot as it scorched his brain. All those beatings, those times he'd been punched or slapped...it was nothing compared to the intensity of the torture he now suffered. He wanted to rip away from his body, to shy away from that terrible burn. And suddenly, mercifully, he'd blacked out. Faded away into unconsciousness, overwhelmed.

And as he disappeared into the warm embrace of sleep, he whispered his wish to the puzzle.

 _I wish to have friends. Friends I can rely on, and who can rely on me._

As Yugi blinked awake, his cheek scratched against the pavement. It was wet, slick from early morning dew. Instinctively, a hand flew to brush the dirt away, and he frowned in confusion.

"Wha-?" he mumbled, still straining to become fully conscious.

His vision swam, and he shook his head. Details sharpened into focus, like a camera lens. Domino High School's entrance loomed overhead, it's clock tower stark in the moonlight. Wind howled past, shaking the schoolyard trees and scattering the fallen autumn leaves across the grass. Winter hadn't quite arrived yet, but everything - the air, the puddles, the wind - felt like ice.

Yugi longed for his warm bed at home.

 _Home_.

Why _wasn't_ he home?

He rolled his wrist, illuminating his watch. Four in the morning. It took a beat to register what he read. He had never been out this late, and certainly wouldn't be caught dead creeping around school in the wee hours. But -

His thoughts were cut off abruptly, as he clocked another shadow in the schoolyard. It was large, rocking back and forth against one of the trees, as it tossed leaves up into the air with a manic giggle. The moonlight caught the man's face as he restlessly shifted in the foliage.

 _Ushio_.

But he looked wrong. His expression was contorted, his eyes manic. Drool seeped from the corners of his lips, dripping down onto the crumbled leaves. He held fistfulls of dirt up to his face, admiring it as a jeweler would a diamond. There was a lost look in his eyes, a vacancy that was haunting.

"Hey, Ushio?" Yugi called out, slowly crawling closer. The sharp, metallic edge of the Millenium Puzzle cut into his gut, and he winced. "Are you ok?"

A loud, crazed giggle burst forth from Ushio, as he hugged an armful of dead leaves to his chest. Yugi froze, the hair on the back of his neck standing on edge. And when Ushio finally turned his gaze on him, Yugi could only barely make out the outline of his pupil. White eyes stared back, as a creepy grin spread slowly across Ushio's face.

"It's all mine," he whispered, his voice shaky with a mixture of happiness and possessiveness. The leaves crackled as his arms crushed tighter around his chest. "You can't have it."

Rising slowly, Ushio stumbled towards Yugi like a zombie. His steps were wobbly, and he raised his arms as if to grab the poor boy in front of him.

So Yugi turned on his heel and ran. Sprinted full tilt through the dark, as fast as his short legs could carry him. He didn't dare look back until he collided with the game shop's rough, stucco wall. Drawing in ragged, painful breaths, his purple eyes darted behind him. Confirmed he was alone. And he allowed himself to collapse, shaking with disbelief and shock as he tried to make sense of the night…

And that had just been the first blackout. One of many.

The sound of rushing water paused as Yugi twisted the sink's knob. He held it for a moment, staring down into the vibrant red pool as it spun and twisted down the drain.

His eyes wandered slightly further, to the golden puzzle that hung around his neck. It gleamed with a cold twinkle, flashing white as it reflected moonlight. It looked innocuous enough at first glance, but…

 _The one who solves me shall inherit my dark knowledge and power_.

The warning on the puzzle's box seemed all the more real now. He hadn't taken it seriously at first, thinking it mere superstition. An occultist joke to help foster the intrigue and mystery around the item. But what if it _was_ evil? What if some dark power had taken over him, controlled him and stolen his memories?

Yugi grasped the cord, intending to remove the puzzle. He didn't want to wear it anymore, especially if it was cursed. It would be the only way to know for sure.

But his arms locked, frozen in place. He struggled to lift the cord, to slip it over his neck, to no avail. It was as if someone or something was exerting an equal, opposite force right back down on his limbs.

"What-?!" Yugi cried, his muscles straining against the pressure. "Let go of me!"

He continued to fight as he glanced up to look in the mirror. His eyes widened in terror, as he saw a black mist hovering around him, holding his arms in place. It hissed a death rattle, ghosting down so it was level with his face.

And Yugi could only watch as his own mouth stretched into a wicked smile, and bright purple eyes flushed dark red. The same color as blood. The Millenium Puzzle pulsed, beating like a heart against his stomach.

 _Help me_ , he whispered to no one.


	2. Chapter 2 - Going Into Shock

The Japanese Jekyll

 **Chapter 2**

"Going Into Shock"

"Hey, Yuge," Jonouchi nudged, waving his hands in front of Yugi's listless face. "Earth to Yugi. You in there?"

The younger boy blinked, shaking his head to clear his daze. He clenched his hands, digging his nails into his palms in order to keep them from shaking.

He wasn't afraid of Jonouchi. In fact, over the past few weeks they'd become close friends. The ordeal with Ushio had been a silver lining after all, he'd once thought. And while Ushio's absence didn't solve all of the boy's school troubles, he was all too glad to see him removed from the picture. One less worry. No one quite knew what had happened to him - not even Yugi. But he and his classmates had all watched as doctors pried him away from that tree, and into the back of an ambulance.

"You alright, pal?" Jonouchi asked, leaning down to Yugi's eye level. His brown eyes shone with concern, and it felt like they pierced straight into Yugi's soul. "You look pale. Er, paler than usual."

Yugi plastered a smile onto his face, and chuckled quietly. "I'm fine, Jou. Just didn't get much sleep last night."

"Again?" Jonouchi cocked his eyebrow. His loose, blonde bangs shifted so they fell over his eyes, shading them from view.

"Yeah," Yugi sighed, running his hands through his spiky hair. He stole a sidelong glance down at the puzzle, his mouth flinching ever so slightly. "But I'm sure it's just restlessness. Eager for summer to start, you know?"

"Got any big plans?" Honda jumped in, grinning widely. "Me, I'm going to ask Izumi out. Maybe hit up the beach or some museums. The world's our oyster."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Jonouchi teased, "She has to say yes to your ugly mug first." He playfully patted Honda's cheek in mock pity, before reaching up to tousle his perfectly coiffed bouffant.

"Don't you dare!" Honda yelped, twisting away from Jonouchi's grasp. "You know how long I spend on my hair every morning."

A small, genuine smile twitched across Yugi's lips as he watched his friends bicker. He rested his cheek against his hand as he admired their goofiness.

"You should ask Anzu out," Honda smiled, turning the attention onto Yugi. "It's certainly been long enough."

Yugi's cheeks burned, no doubt flushed a vivid red, as her face popped into his mind. Porcelain skin, feathery brown hair, and the brightest, sky-blue eyes he'd ever seen. His heartbeat quickened and a lump formed in his throat as he stole a glance her way.

She stood near the front of the class, surrounded by other female classmates. Sweeping loose strands behind her ear, she was effortlessly social with everyone. Like the sun, she radiated warmth, positivity and enthusiasm, immediately putting those around her at ease. She had an attraction, like a magnet, that drew people to her.

Yugi had been charmed by that allure, even when they were children. Always the shy outcast, he stood apart from everyone, while Anzu collected acquaintances. And although he was shy, Yugi was no exception. She had stomped up to him in elementary school, dressed in her little blue romper, and demanded he play games with her. With no choice but to oblige, Yugi shared a game with her, watching with careful interest as she struggled with it.

In the end, she broke it - her determination and strong grip splintering one of the wooden pieces. If it had been anyone else, he might have been upset about it. But instead he just laughed, and brought her a new game the next day. He admired her energy and perseverance, and fell a little more in love with her with every day they spent together.

Now that they were in high school, the torch he held for her had grown into a bonfire. Sparks and embers flew between them as he silently pined for her, grimacing from the shadows as more handsome and athletic boys made advances. And while they maintained a close, special friendship, Yugi knew he had little hope of ever getting his chance with her.

"You know that's never going to happen," Yugi mumbled, tracing the grains of his desk with his index finger.

"Why not? You think she's too good for you?" Honda pressed, breaking free from Jonouchi's chokehold. The two boys pulled chairs from the other desks, whipping them around to face Yugi's.

"Honestly man, you have a chance," Jonouchi nodded, stroking his chin. "I mean, yeah, she's hot...but you have the home field advantage. You've known her since you were kids."

The blush grew hotter, creeping up Yugi's neck and warming his ears. Even when his friends tried to be encouraging, it felt like everything they said was piteous.

"It's not that…" Yugi whispered, staring down at his hands. Although his skin had been scalded and scrubbed clean, he still could see the blood clotted around the lines on his palm. Could _feel_ it there, his forgotten sins clinging to him like static.

His watery violet eyes slid back up towards his friends. He wanted so desperately to tell them. To let them know about the nights he'd blacked out. About the shadow that followed him. But part of him worried that they'd think he was crazy.

No, maybe more than a part. Until recently, Yugi himself would have laughed the story off. Ghosts, demons, the supernatural...they weren't real. Sure, he scared easily...but when things went bump in the night, he knew they had a logical source. As moonlight filtered through the trees outside his window, they cast eerie dark shapes on his walls. Whenever loud noises jolted him from sleep, it was because the wind blew over the trash cans on the curb.

No matter how much he'd wanted life to be more extraordinary, it just _wasn't_.

And now that it was...he began to regret his wish.

"I-" he started to say, but found his voice caught in his throat. His throat, his tongue stopped moving, as if paralyzed. Though his breathing didn't arrest, something kept his diaphragm from allowing the quick, hyperventilating gasps he wanted to take.

His flushed cheeks and rapid heartbeat were a siren's call. Every time he felt any strong emotions - mostly fear or rage - the puzzle around his neck activated. Physiological response seemed to be the tripwire, from the little he could surmise from his fragmented memories.

A shiver rattled up his spine, as if a pail of freezing cold water had been dumped over him. A withered moan echoed through his ears - a dying man's last breath. Yugi's eyes widened as he felt the sensation of bony, rotting fingers crawling over his shoulder. Every hair stood on end, as if touched by a live wire, and he could feel the blood draining from his face.

"Hey man, are you ok?" Jonouchi asked, but Yugi could barely hear him. A pounding pulse beat out his friend's voice, muffling it. His vision began to dim, swimming and rolling like ocean waves.

Yugi struggled to fight through the fog. Something inside him threatened to bubble to the surface, like vomit rising up his esophagus. It wasn't a pleasant feeling - one that ached with an overwhelming sense of sadness and anger. Strange, powerful, raw emotions that felt like they could tear him inside out. Although these feelings weren't tangible, Yugi tried to grab hold of them, to force them back down.

He had to try. Who knew what would happen if he blacked out here, at _school_ , with his friends to bear witness. Or be the victims.

Yugi's hand crawled forward across the wood grains of his desk, until his fingers hooked around the edge. He gripped it with all his might, watching as his knuckles turned white. The sharp corner cut painfully into his skin, but it kept him on the edge of lucidity.

"Jo...nou...chi," Yugi managed, barely choking out the syllables of his friend's name. Although his jaw was frozen, he still maintained a small level of control over his tongue and lips.

 _The puzzle didn't like that_.

A numbness flooded through his oral nerves, flushing through his teeth and cheeks until it felt like his mouth was full of cotton.

Honda grew more and more anxious, as he watched Yugi's face. "Jou, I think he's going into shock. He's diabetic, isn't he?"

Realization dawned across Jonouchi's face, as he rushed to kneel by Yugi's side. Brushing aside his uniform jacket, he pulled Yugi's shirt up to reveal his glucose sensor.

Jonouchi flinched as he registered the purple and yellow bruises that peppered Yugi's back. Some were dangerously close to the sensor, and a stronger red color...no doubt places where the sensor had been when he was punched.

A thin, plastic tube ran from the small electrode on his lower back to the electronic monitor in Yugi's front pocket. Jonouchi carefully fished it out, trying not to disconnect it as he brought it closer to his face. He didn't have much experience in the diabetes department, and the readout only confused him further.

"Dude, I don't know what any of this means," Jonouchi frowned, passing it to Honda.

"Ok, then go find something with sugar. Candy, mints, anything…I'll take care of this."

As Honda started plugging away at the monitor, Jonouchi jumped over to the ladies huddle in the front of the class.

"Any of you girls happen to have some chocolate or somethin'?" Jonouchi pleaded, "We think Yugi's got low blood sugar."

Anzu's eyes widened, blinking into comprehension. Wordlessly departing from her group, she shrugged her backpack off and approached Yugi's desk.

Jonouchi chased after her, "Uh, Anzu…He-"

But she ignored him. Placing a hand to Yugi's forehead, she swept his dampened bangs aside. His whole body shook beneath her touch, and her eyebrows knit together in concern.

Fishing fruit gummies out of the front pocket of her backpack, she offered them to Yugi in the palm of her hand. His dulled, pained eyes shifted to look down at her palm, but he dared not let go of the edge of the desk. Noises escaped his mouth, but none were coherent.

"Open," she commanded, pushing one of the gummies to Yugi's lips. He struggled to oblige, and she pushed it through the small crack between his teeth. "Chew."

Some of the numbness subsided, and he woodenly bit down on the fruit snack. As his mouth flooded with sweet, cherry flavor, he could feel the pressure of the ghost's grip loosen. He could still sense it behind him, hovering just out of view. But he fixated on Anzu's sparkling, brilliant blue eyes, allowing his body to relax as he got lost in them.

As the sun set behind Domino High School's clock tower, it chimed a cheery tune to signal the end of the day. Orange permeated the darkening blue sky, staining the clouds that streaked the horizon.

Yugi watched it all from the rooftop - the private hideaway he shared with his friends. Leaning against the chain link fencing that encircled the space, he drank in the heavens with a big sigh.

He heard a heavy metal door open, the one that connected the roof to the stairwell. Light footsteps approached, and he shut his eyes, trying to muster some control.

"How are you feeling?" Anzu asked, taking a seat beside him. "You really scared everyone this morning."

Yugi drew his knees to his chest, hugging them anxiously. "I'm doing better." It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie either. He buried half of his face behind his knees, hiding the grimace that twitched across his lips.

"Something's bothering you." She shifted so she could look him dead-on, her gaze intense. "I can always tell, Yugi."

He shrugged, drawing further into himself. It was a familiar pattern, curling around his true feelings and hiding them from the world. It felt safer if no one knew what was really going on inside his head.

"If it's Jonouchi or Honda…" she started, slowly proceeding. But Yugi was quick - perhaps too quick - to cut her off.

"No, it's not them," he interjected. It was an uncharacteristically loud outburst. But he followed up with a quieter, "They're fine."

"Then what it is? I want to help."

When Yugi met her eyes, he saw steely determination. It was the look that she got in her eyes when she wanted to prove herself. To prove she was a good friend.

But then he remembered the face in the mirror last night, his own eyes full of fire and rage and blood. Like a storm in the heart of a sun. He remembered blood mixing with water in his bathroom sink, and the dark shadow that haunted his dreams. The cursed puzzle was a force to be reckoned with, and he didn't want her anywhere near it.

"Believe me. There's nothing you can do."

Hurt flashed across her face, if only for a second. "You won't even let me try?"

"Anzu…" he sighed with a hint of exasperation. Keeping an even keel was proving to be difficult.

"I feel like I don't know what's going on with you anymore. We haven't _talked_ in weeks." As she spoke, her voice trembled. "Ever since you solved that puzzle, and Jou and Honda started hanging around...it's like you're a different person."

Yugi's heartbeat picked up pace, thumping irregularly. His breaths became more shallow, as he tried to will it to slow down. But that familiar, bubbling sensation came over his whole body, drowning him in a stranger's rage and despair.

 _No, not here. Not in front of her_.

He clutched his arms as he scooted away from her, trying to put as much distance between them. The Millenium Puzzle activated, glowing brightly against his stomach as he scrambled to get to his feet. A high-pitched, keening white noise filled the air, and he stumbled, falling to his knees.

"Yugi, what-" Anzu called, moving towards him. But he held out one of his hands in a staying motion.

As he moved his hand, he saw Anzu fly backwards towards the stairwell exit, as if pushed by an unseen force. Her feet left the ground as something invisible carried her, putting more distance between them, and she slammed against the metal door.

His heart skipped a beat when he heard her cry out in pain.

"Get out of here!" he shouted, gripping his head with his free hand. His shadow stretched, expanding beneath him and creeping up the adjacent building wall. It peeled away from the stone with ease, drifting towards him in snaking, black tendrils.

Anzu felt the back of her head, staring at her shaking fingers in horror when they came back bloodied. She stood frozen, her mouth falling open in fear and disbelief, before glancing back up at Yugi.

"RUN!"


	3. Chapter 3 - Darkness Falls

The Japanese Jekyll

 **Chapter 3**

"Darkness Falls"

"RUN!" Yugi yelled, consumed with fear. His hand was outstretched, reaching towards Anzu as the darkness swirled around the edges of his periphery. He watched the blackness close around his fingers, obscuring Anzu's face. Those terrified blue eyes and her blood seared into his brain.

He feels his face go too, like sinking beneath the surface of the ocean. No longer aware of any floor or walls, he allows himself to float. His "body" drifts backwards, reclining while his hands bobb at his sides. A pulse rocks him every so often, and his hair moves and spreads, flowing free as if in zero gravity.

Eyelids shuttering, he fights the strong, sudden urge to sleep.

 _No_ , he thinks. _I cannot sleep. Not this time. Anzu needs me._

He jerks back upright, but seems to remain in a seated position. His legs curl underneath him as he attempts to maintain his balance, bobbing along in an invisible current. It carries him deeper and deeper into the darkness, into a lightless void.

After drifting downwards for what seemed like an eternity, Yugi's shoes hit resistance. He glances down, tracing the faint outline of stonework with his deep purple irises. Crouching, he sweeps a hand across the surface, recoiling as a freezing cold shock courses through him.

With trembling fingers, he holds his hand up to his face, twisting it this way and that as he attempts to catch some dim light. The place where his hand made contact with the floor had browned, peeling and shrinking like a mummy's dehydrated, dead skin. His joints and bones were clearly visible, twig-like and brittle.

A terrified yelp catches in his throat, and he backs away in shock. Not looking where he's going, Yugi is surprised when his heel catches against a raised limestone step. He falls backward, away from the darkness and into a brightly lit, underground room. Landing on his lower back and rear, he winces from the pain as his body makes contact with the unforgiving floor.

Torches crackle all around him, bathing the room in a warm orange glow. The light flickers and dances across the stones, as shadows move in rhythm. A pervasive sense of bygone eras permeate the space, as the room's construction seems ancient and timeworn.

As Yugi picks himself up, he notices a narrow passageway to the back-left. He approaches it with caution, glancing over his shoulder for an alternative escape. But it seems that the way back into the endless void has been sealed. The only way appears to be forward.

His shoulders brush against the walls as he strides forward, his school jacket rubbing against the limestone. Dust and sand occasionally drift down in feathery spurts, falling between the cracks in the monument. Some of the grains catch in his hair, and as he brushes them from his tangled locks, he begins to realize that he's in a tomb of some sort. Underground, like a catacomb.

Up ahead, he hears the faint echo of voices. Yugi trains an ear forward, brow furrowing as he strains to make out the words. It sounds foreign, almost guttural, with complex noises. Arabic, maybe? Two voices appear lower than the third, male and authoritative.

As he nears the end of the passageway, Yugi presses his back against one of the walls, only barely edging out around the corner. Stifling a gasp, he can't quite believe the scene unfolding before him.

The room is cavernous, with high ceilings and surprising length. However, despite its off putting size, it's very sparse. Hieroglyphs and Egyptian paintings adorn the walls, their color fresh and unmarred. A long, stone bridge connects two standing platforms, one on each end of the room. Beneath it, a seemingly endless drop into darkness.

 _That can't be safe_ , Yugi thinks to himself, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Dust, grains and reeds...the smell is pungent and noticeable. But a staleness also creeps in, hiding underneath the initial agricultural wave. There's a must, the smell of dirt mixed with rainwater, that lingers after the fresh ingredients have died.

Yugi is taken aback by how _new_ everything seems. But there's evidence of slapdash construction. Paint bleeds outside the lines in some of the portraits, and in others, the coat is still wet. In several places, a specific section of hieroglyphs have been buffed out, intentionally and haphazardly chipped away and defaced. Even the carvings chiseled into the ornate limestone bridge have an unfinished quality to them.

 _What is this place?_

As the initial awe and wonderment fades, Yugi's eyes land on a body. Broken and bloodied, it lies limp on a small altar nearby. It's a young man, barely into his early twenties. His features bear an eerie resemblance to Yugi's own, although his eyes seem sharper, his brow more tense. This stranger even has similar, wild hair, streaked with black, blonde and red.

Blood stains the corner of the young man's mouth. It's dried some, but it seems relatively fresh. Open wounds and scratches pepper across his arms and legs, mingling with the layer of dirt that seems to cover every inch of him. More blood pools at the side of the altar, collecting as drops fall from the young man's limp fingers.

Yugi feels inexplicably drawn to him, and he sidles closer. He approaches the altar, his face dropping closer as he inspects the young man's visage.

There's something regal about the young man's garb. His tunic is plain, cream-colored beneath the brown sheen of sand. Gold bands encircle his waist, arms, and neck, glinting deep yellow in the torches' firelight. Various rings populate his slender fingers, and opulent earrings dangle from his ears. A faint red mark on the man's forehead indicates the former presence of a diadem.

Someone softly sobs nearby, a mournful cry that breaks Yugi's focus. He drifts to the side of the altar, and sees a young woman, kneeling at the man's side with her head bowed reverently. Chestnut brown hair spills over her shoulders with each heart-wrenching shake, as tears smudge the kohl under her muddy eyes.

She reaches up, raising her hand to the young man's body, as if to hold his hand. But another man steps up behind her and slaps it away.

"Mana, show respect. You dare not raise your hand to the king," he spits, his narrow blue eyes cold and focused.

"I...I'm sorry, Set. My lord. I just…" Mana's voice hitches, and her watery hazel eyes shift up towards his, "One last time…"

Set softens ever so slightly, his lip twitching. "Hmph," he snorts, crossing his arms. It's not an answer, but Mana runs with it.

She grabs the king's hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm so sorry…" she whispers to him.

Another man, an older priest, is seated on the floor some feet away. A thin linen cloth is draped across his crossed legs, weighed down by dozens of small gold pieces. It looks almost like a puzzle, since each shape is unique and grooved. He pours water from a jug, splashing it across the pile, and sets to work polishing the blood from each piece. The clean pieces are set aside in a neat row on the stones, allowed to air dry before returning to their home in an ornate, decorative box.

Yugi's eyes pinch shut, and he shakes his head. Confusion sweeps across his face. He can't understand those voices - he doesn't recognize the language - but somehow, he's able to process what they're saying. And it's all so...cryptic. Eerie. And why don't they seem to see him?

 _Is this a memory?_

A shadow sweeps across the room, causing the torches to flicker. As the light sputters, there's a low, wispy sound, like a long exhale.

"This place is cursed," Set growls, tappings his fingers against his crossed arm. His long white cape billows as the shadow passes by him, but he seems unconcerned about the entity encircling them.

"It's the puzzle," the older priest murmurs, sweeping a finger across the ominous Wadjet eye that adorns the biggest puzzle piece. It flashes with sinister energy. "Now that the darkness is trapped inside, we should let it become lost to the shadows."

Mana flinches, her eyes meeting the priest's. "Shimon..." she begins to protest.

"It was his duty, Mana." Shimon meets her despair with steely resolve. "He knew what this sacrifice meant. And he saved us all."

He dumped the remaining gold pieces into the box, sealing the lid as he rises to stand.

"We can't do anything for him now. Release him," he continues, patting her shoulder as he places the box on the young man's body. Shimon carefully positions the king's arms, and drapes them across his chest, in the Egyptian burial symbol.

"I still think we should give him a proper burial," Set interjects. "Burying a _king_ in an unmarked grave, without a sarcophagus or an embalming? You treat him as you would a peasant. His name will die, but his body should live on with the regals. We owe him that much."

Shimon shakes his head. "I understand your pain, Set. I do. He was like a son to me, and a great leader. But we have to forget." He gestures to the world outside the tomb. " _They_ have to forget. So his death isn't meaningless."

Another chill passes through the room, breezing right through Yugi as it swishes around the enclosure. The torch lights go out, plunging everything into pure darkness. As the light vanishes, so does Mana, Shimon and Set.

Yugi watches the puzzle box glow with bright yellow light, pulsing like a heartbeat. With each throb, the room seems to age and deteriorate. The warmth turns to a cold, gray-blue palette. Cobwebs populate the corners, and a thick sheen of dust coats every surface.

And then, a small white orb ghosts out of the puzzle box. It seems shy, tentative at first, like a firefly in April. But slowly the light builds, transforming into the likeness of the young man. It's clear he's nothing but an echo, but his presence is surprising all the same.

He opens his eyes, and Yugi starts at their unusual color. Deep red, like a Nile lotus. There's a lost look to the young man's expression, an unfathomable melancholy. Like someone who's missing a piece of themself. The darkness in the room seems to collect beneath him, a living shadow that clings to him and steals his life.

Little by little, he begins to disappear. Waist deep in blackness, the ghost's gaze shifts to Yugi. A shiver runs up Yugi's spine as their eyes lock, and he finds himself rooted. Fear paralyzes him, keeping him from running away.

A sadness overcomes him, growing within his chest like ice shards. His heart begins to hurt, as if squeezed by someone from the inside. Each beat tears through his body, white-hot. He wants to scream, to turn away. He wants it to stop.

 _Wake up!_ He yells, willing himself back into his body. _Please!_

Blood, red and vibrant, drips from the ghost's mouth. His bodily wounds slash across his ethereal form, before all color fades from his form entirely.

With pale skin and faded hair, the ghost almost looks like a mirror image.

He stalks towards Yugi, his expression growing darker. The shadows swarm around his body, hissing. The red in the ghost's eyes burns brighter than ever.

He takes Yugi by the neck, crushing his windpipe with one hand. He lifts Yugi off the ground effortlessly, smirking as his shoes flail uselessly, trying to find purchase.

 _Don't get in my way_ , the ghost's deep voice fills Yugi's head, loud and threatening.

Gasping, Yugi struggles to breathe. Air can't make it into his lungs, stopping at the ghost's choke point. The room begins to grow hazy, until…

Like a drowning victim seconds from death, Yugi bolts upright in bed, fighting for breath. Panting ragged, deep gulps of air, he tries to steady his racing heart. Sweat dapples his flushed skin, slicking his hair to his face and neck. Nausea rips through his abdomen, along with the hollow feeling of hunger.

Blinking, he struggles to ward off disorientation as he tries to make sense of his surroundings. The darkened corners of his room swim into focus, streaked with the blue light of a half moon. A tangled mess of blankets cover his still-clothed body.

 _Night_?

He shakes his wrist, checking his watch. **11:28 PM**. He does a double take.

8 hours. It's the longest stretch of time he's ever missed.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stands up so he can pull his glucose monitor out of his rear pocket. With how terrible he's feeling, the blood sugar levels must be off the chart.

As he tugs his monitor loose, another device falls out of his pocket. It clatters to the floor with a loud, heavy sound, drawing Yugi's focus. His phone, a thick, black iPhone 5, lies face-down on the hardwood.

Stooping to pick it up, Yugi's fingers shake as he turns the device over in his palm. The screen flickers to life, illuminating his wallpaper - a selfie with Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu and Ryou. A large crack runs across the picture, splintering the image in several places. The most damaged of the rifts cuts across Anzu's face, breaking her carefree smile.

Yugi rubs his thumb across her face, almost as if trying to wipe the crack away. To undo the damage.

And then it clicks. "Anzu!" Yugi exclaims out loud, almost too loudly.

Swiftly unlocking the phone, he clicks her name and presses the phone to his ear. Closing his eyes, he silently mouths a prayer, a wish. _Please let her be ok_.

"The subscriber you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try your call again later."

The busy dial-tone rhythmically bleats in his ear, even after he lowers the phone.

He tries her number again. Straight to the message. It isn't even her normal, cheery voicemail.

 _What did he do to her?_

Grabbing his keys, he heads for the door. Heads for her home, even though it's the middle of the night and she lives a good twenty minutes walk away.

He doesn't see what's hidden beneath his bed. He doesn't see the bloody pink school jacket, balled haphazardly next to his childhood games and dust bunnies.


End file.
